


A God in Love

by Plisetskitty



Series: God AU stories [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Eventual Relationships, M/M, More characters to be added, Not Beta Read, Viktor with a K, chris tries to set otayuri up, god!AU, leo needs more recognition
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-04
Updated: 2017-06-14
Packaged: 2018-09-28 05:28:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10074242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Plisetskitty/pseuds/Plisetskitty
Summary: Otabek is a God of victory who wants to find love.





	1. Chapter 1

Life for a god was described by many as "perfect", and rightly so. Who wouldn't want to live in the lap of luxury for all eternity, and watch over mortals, enjoying their pettiness and dramaticism? All of the gods enjoyed their lives immensely, and would never want to change them.

All except one. He wished to live among the mortals, to meet them and learn their ways. To learn how they thought, how they loved. Love was especially important to this god. He thought he knew love, but not in the way mortals did. He hoped the mortals could show him true love. Maybe they could show him, even as they learned it themselves.

If I am to live with the mortals, the god thought, I must choose a mortal name. He thought about it for a while, considering the thousands of names he knew, before finally settling on one. Otabek, he thought. I will call myself Otabek.

The mortals' world was strange to Otabek, but he knew that if they were to see his world, they would think it even stranger than he thought theirs. He looked at his surroundings. So many people were absorbed in their technology, not paying any attention to what was around them. It was almost unbelievable to him. He knew that the mortals communicated with each other with this technology, but he didn't necessarily understand why so many of them seemed to prefer it to face-to-face interaction. Why distract yourself so much from the rest of the world around you?

Otabek didn't realize until it was too late that he himself was actually very distracted. He walked straight into somebody, knocking them over.

"What's with you, asshole?" The somebody, who turned out to be a young blonde man who seemed to have quite a liking for leopard print clothing, said angrily. He gave Otabek a glare.

"I'm sorry!" Otabek exclaimed, reaching out a hand to help the young man up. The young man pushed Otabek's hand away.

"I don't need your help," he said, getting up by himself, and walking away briskly. Otabek had come to here to understand mortals more, but so far he thought he understood them even less. He wandered the streets, getting used to his new surroundings, and trying to find something to do, or someone to talk to, to learn about. When, after two hours, he did not succeed, he laid down on a park bench, not knowing what else to do. He had no money, or immediate means to get any. He would try to take care of that tomorrow. Living with the mortals meant living as they did, not taking advantage of them.

The next morning, Otabek determined to try and get a job. He did not have the experience or formal education required for most jobs in this world. Fortunately, he knew that mortals had low-level jobs they called minimum wage jobs. Low-paying as they were, it was something, and Otabek needed something. Immediately upon walking into a coffee shop with a "Help Wanted" sign, he saw the young blonde man from the day before.

You must be joking, he thought. Which of the other gods above had made this happen? He was betting on Christophe.

 

  
Christophe was the god of love. He had spent so much time among the mortals that he chose to go by a mortal name. He often traveled to the mortal world, where he would play matchmaker, or help people with their love problems. Spending so much time in the mortal world was atypical of the gods, but Christophe himself could be described as atypical.

Otabek had once asked Christophe to teach him about love, and how the mortals felt it.

  
"I can't do that." Chris had replied.

"Why?"

"I can't explain it."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. If you want to understand the mortals, maybe you should go live with them yourself."

"You just said you don't, and you've lived with them for decades. Maybe centuries."

"No, I said I couldn't explain it. I never said anything about not understanding them. Though, sometimes they can be quite puzzling."

That conversation hadn't been the reason Otabek wanted to live among the mortals, but it had certainly had pushed him towards making the decision. Otabek rolled his eyes skyward. Are you enjoying yourself, Chris, he thought.

He tried to ignore that the blonde man being there likely meant that Chris was trying to set them up. He appreciated that Chris was trying to hasten his understanding of love, but this was not how he wanted it to happen. He wanted it to progress naturally. Too bad Chris could be absolutely relentless.

 

 

Relentless as Chris was, he couldn't make Otabek talk to the blonde man. Otabek was here to get a job, and only to get a job.

One week later, he had a job at the coffee shop, but was still looking for somewhere to live. And he had still not talked to the blonde man.

Two weeks later he had a place to stay. His co-worker, Leo, has needed a roommate, and Otabek had needed somewhere to live. Otabek still had not talked to the blonde man.

A few days after Otabek had moved in with Leo, there was a knock at the door. He was alone in the apartment, and wasn't expecting anyone, but opened the door anyway. He was shocked to find Chris standing there.

Chris didn't even bother with a greeting. "Why haven't you talked to him?"

"To who?"

"You know who."

"Chris-"

"No. Talk to him."

" You do realize that I'm a god, too, and thus can make my own decisions. "

"Do it for me, please. Trust me. You want to learn love, right? Talk to him."

"Alright."

"Thank you."

And with that, he was gone. 

The next day, after Otabek's shift ended, the blonde man walked into the coffee shop.

Otabek waited a few minutes, then went up to him. "Hi," he said.  
The blonde man looked up. "You?"

"Me. Sorry I knocked you over. Like three weeks ago."

"Oh, wow."

" What? "

"It's been three weeks."

" You recognized me! "

"You barreled into me on the street."

" Barreled is not the right word. "

"Maybe not."

"I'm Otabek, by the way. And I don't make a habit of knocking people over on the street."

"I'm Yuri, and I really fucking hope that's true."

Yuri. What a nice name.

"Huh?"

"Did I say that out loud?"

" I thought about going to make you feel better, but yeah, you did say that. "

"You don't spare feelings, do you?"

" Not my thing. " Yuri replied, though he was smiling. He had a lovely smile.

Otabek laughed. "I have to go home, but I work here, and I've noticed you hanging out here a lot. Maybe we can talk again sometime?"

"Sure." Said Yuri.

"Great!" Otabek waved goodbye as he left for home. When he got back to his apartment, he found a note that said: 

"Don't regret talking to him, do you?"

Otabek shook his head. "No, Chris, I do not," he said, though he knew the apartment was empty. "I most certainly do not."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to the people who suggested songs that Yuri would like, and who approved a couple of my ideas.

It wasn't long before Otabek and Yuri fell into a routine. Once a week, sometimes twice, Yuri would come into the coffee shop after Otabek's shift ended, and they would talk for about a half hour before Otabek had to leave. Otabek always looked forward to his conversations with Yuri, because Yuri was so interesting, so unforgettable.

Of course, Otabek did have a life outside of the coffee shop, and he enjoyed it very much.

He had quickly found that he and Leo had a common interest in music, and they would often share music with each other.

Otabek had always preferred mortals' music to that of the gods. The gods' music could often be quite egotistical. Not that mortals' music couldn't be as well, but the things they bragged about were laughable in comparison to what the gods bragged about. And most of the mortals' songs that Otabek knew of were about other people. The gods never wrote songs about others. Often, the mortals' songs were about people they loved. That was one of the biggest reasons that Otabek had come to wonder about how they felt love.

Though the music was beautiful, no song could truly give him an understanding of the meaning of love to mortals. They all expressed it so differently. It was fascinating.

I'll have to ask Yuri about what kind of music he likes, Otabek thought. Surprisingly, it had never come up in their conversations. He honestly had no idea what kind of music Yuri liked. People's music taste often revealed a lot about them. He had to remember to ask Yuri about his.

Just then, Leo came home.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hi."

"Can I ask you something?" Leo asked.

"Sure."

"So, uh, my boyfriend is coming to visit in about a week, and I was wondering if you would mind if he stayed with us while he's here? He'll be here for two weeks. He can stay in a hotel if he needs to, but it'd be really awesome if he could stay here." Leo asked, seeming nervous. "I get it if it's not cool, no one wants to be the third wheel in their own place."

Otabek smiled. "He can stay here." He'd have hated to disappoint Leo, especially after Leo had been so kind to him. And he really didn't mind.

"Thank you! It means a lot. He lives so far away that we never get to see each other, so I want to spend as much time with him as I can."

"I get it. I wouldn't want to prevent that." Otabek replied.

"Thanks again. I'm gonna go call him and tell him."

"I think I'm gonna go out. I'll see you later." Otabek said.

"Bye."

Otabek wandered through the streets. He wanted to go to the coffee shop in hopes Yuri was there because he had realized that they hadn't exchanged phone numbers. This was probably because it had taken Otabek weeks in the mortal world to get a phone. He didn't necessarily want one, because he still felt like they did less to encourage people to talk to each other than encourage them to ignore each other, but he knew having a phone was a necessity in the mortal world. And he did want to talk to Yuri more.

However much Otabek wanted to go to the coffee shop, he chose not to. He instead went into a bookstore. He knew that many mortals loved to read, but had never read any of their books, because, unfortunately, they didn't ship to the realm of the gods.

He roamed the aisles of the bookstore. The genre of the novels was marked by a sign on each shelf. Otabek stifled a laugh when he saw that books involving gods and demigods were categorized under fantasy. If only they knew, he thought.

Otabek stopped again to look at the romance novels. Could a novel help him understand love, or should he wait to try and find it himself? He decided to wait. He wanted to experience love himself, anyway. He could learn through experiences. He left the bookstore empty handed, but decided he would go back someday and buy something. He decided to steer away from the coffee shop. Yuri probably wasn't there anyway.

Otabek didn't know what else to do at the moment, so he simply sat down on a bench and people-watched. It disappointed him that so many people were ignoring their surroundings by looking at their phones. He loved seeing people out with their friends, talking and laughing, or the couples holding hands as they walked through town. He wished he could do something to make people interact face-to-face more, but this was a victory he wasn't sure even he could achieve.

"Sad, isn't it?" A familiar voice said.

Otabek looked up to see Chris. "Are you stalking me?" Otabek asked.

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Sad, isn't it," Chris repeated. "The mortals seem to favor their phones to their friends. But phones aren't all bad. Many people find friends- and love- through what they do on their phones."

"I know. I didn't even want a phone. But unfortunately you can't get by without one here." Otabek replied.

"You have a phone? Give me your number: I want updates about you and your little blonde friend. It won't feel like I'm stalking you if you text me." He joked.

Otabek, of course, knew that Chris wasn't actually stalking him. This was just the only way they could talk at present. "Alright," he agreed, and before he knew it Chris had grabbed his phone to get his number.

"You should really put a lockscreen password on this." He said.

"People could still watch me put it in."

"Would you rather have no security or potential security?"

"Point taken." Chris handed Otabek's phone back to him. "Nice talking to you, but I've got to go. I have friends waiting for me." He left with a smile and a wave.

Chris was certainly atypical for a god. Not only did he live among the mortals much of the time, he was friends with many of them. Most of the gods, and even many demigods, looked down on mortals. Of course, if Chris was atypical for these reasons, it meant Otabek was, too. But that didn't matter to him.

* * *

 

A few days later, Yuri walked into the coffee shop just as Otabek was about to leave.

"Hey." Yuri greeted.

"Hi." Otabek replied.

"Do you have time to talk today?"

"Yeah! But I might have to cut it short because my roommate's boyfriend is coming to stay in a few days and we realized our place is a complete mess."

"Okay."

"But I'll give you my number if you want it and you can text me." Otabek continued.

"Sounds great." Yuri said, and they exchanged numbers.

"Hey, Yuri?"

"Yeah?"

"What kind of music do you like?"

"You don't know what you just got yourself into." Yuri pulled a pair of headphones out of his bag. He placed one of the earbuds in his ear, and gave the other to Otabek, who unquestioningly put it in.

"Okay, so. If you don't like Fall Out Boy we can't be friends. I'll just get that out of the way now. I've loved them since I was like 13." Yuri paused, waiting for a response.

"I've only listened to one of their albums, but I liked it."

"Good. I'm sending you my favorite Fall Out Boy songs later. I also like Panic! at the Disco. Have you listened to them?" Yuri asked.

"No."

"You are now."

Otabek snorted.

Yuri continued to share his music with Otabek. Highlights (in Otabek's opinion) included "This is Gospel" by Panic! at the Disco, "Left Hand Free" by Alt-J, and anything by 2Cellos.

"You have nice music taste," said Otabek after about 20 minutes.

"Thanks." Yuri smiled, as lovely as ever.

"I have to go, but I'll send you some of my music later if you want." Otabek said, getting up.

"Sure. Hey, do you maybe wanna hang out this weekend? Not here, I mean. Maybe at your place? Or my place?"

Otabek smiled. "I'd love to. I'll text you my address."

"Great."

* * *

 

"Leo, I'm back!" Otabek called, entering their apartment.

"Hey! I was about to call you. Apparently Guang Hong- my boyfriend- is getting here early."

"How early?" Otabek asked.

"This weekend. He had to change flights for some reason. I hope it's not too big of a deal he'll be here early." Leo replied, handing Otabek a duster he was certain they didn't own yesterday.

Otabek unquestioningly took the duster and started dusting. "It's no problem. I was thinking of having a friend over, though."

"That's cool. I don't want to mess up your plans or anything."

"You're not; I was gonna ask if it would mess you up."

"Nah, it'll be a long flight for Guang Hong. He'll probably just wanna nap for a while after he gets here, so as long as you're not planning on doing anything loud you're good."

"We were just gonna hang out. Nothing loud."

"That's fine."

The weekend couldn't come fast enough for either of them.

* * *

 

That weekend, Otabek texted Yuri to go ahead and come over as Leo was leaving to pick up Guang Hong from the airport. 

Five minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

"Hi." Yuri greeted.

"You were that close?"

"I live five minutes away."

"Awesome."

"Yeah. I can't stay for too long, though, because I've got somewhere to be in a while.  Is your roommate here, or do you have the place to yourself right now?" Yuri asked, walking in and looking around.

"He just left, actually."

Yuri sat down on one of the chairs in the living room. "You guys have a lot of music stuff. Is it yours or his?"

"We share it, mostly. We both like to DJ, but I think I do it a little more seriously than Leo, my roommate. I'm still just starting, but I'd love to do it professionally one day." For all Otabek's complaints about technology, this was technology that he actually loved. He could use it to create things, and share them with other people. Music tended to bring people closer together, didn't it?

"Care to demonstrate?" Yuri asked.

"Maybe once I've improved." Otabek replied.

"Do you play any of these instruments?"

"Bass." Otabek replied. "I've been playing for years." That was true. The god of music had made sure that there were always instruments in the realm of the gods. All were free to play these instruments, and Otabek had taken advantage of this. He also played piano, but unfortunately he and Leo didn't have one.

"And, before you ask, I will demonstrate."

"Holy shit." Yuri said, as Otabek started to play a Fall Out Boy song. "You've discovered my weakness."

Otabek laughed.

"No, I'm not even kidding. I have this thing for bass players. Especially if they can play Fall Out Boy. I had a huge crush on Pete Wentz for like three years."

"Really?" Otabek wondered if Yuri was trying to tell him something.

"Yes. I wish I was making that up. It was awful. Worst time of my life. I can't believe I've kept friends I had back then. I'd have ditched myself for someone better."

"Wow. That bad?" Otabek asked.

"That fucking bad." Yuri's face was completely serious. "So, what else do you do besides music?"

"It's pretty much either this, work, or watching sitcoms." Otabek admitted. He didn't have a very exciting life, but he was fine with it.

"What sitcoms? This will make or break our friendship."

"I love Parks and Recreation."

Yuri nodded in approval. "Good. How do you feel about Friends?"

"I love it."

"Good."

"Do you want to watch a few episodes?" Otabek asked.

"Absolutely."

They were about three episodes into Parks and Recreation when Leo and his boyfriend walked in.

"Hi!" Leo greeted. He couldn't wipe the smile off of his face.

"This is my boyfriend, Guang Hong."

Guang Hong waved, looking completely exhausted. He couldn't seem to wipe the smile off of his face, either.

"Hi. I'm Otabek." He didn't bother saying anything else, because he knew now was the wrong time to start a conversation. This guy needed some sleep.

"Hi." Guang Hong didn't have the chance to say anything else before Leo showed him to the room they'd be sharing for the next two weeks.

It was only a few minutes before Leo returned to the living room. "He's asleep already. So, who's this?" He asked, gesturing to Yuri.

"I'm Yuri, and I'm actually about to be late for a class, so I have to go. Sorry! I'd love to come back soon!" Yuri said as he rushed out.

"He seems nice." Leo said.

"He's actually really salty. It's pretty funny." Said Otabek.

"Apparently he's still worthy to be the friend of a god, though, huh?" Leo asked.

"How did you-" Otabek stammered.

"I'm a demigod. I know you don't know me, but I know you. And even if I didn't, the visits from the god of love definitely would have tipped me off."

"Wait, you knew about that, too? And what god are you the child of?"

"The god of music. Shocking, right?" Leo asked with a smile. "And yeah, I knew. He's dropped by more than once looking for you while you were out."

"To be honest, I think he's trying to set me up with Yuri." Otabek admitted. "Why do you look like you know something I don't know?"

"You'll figure it out eventually." Leo replied

_Figure what out?_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed the end of this chapter. (and, believe it or not, I will not be rushing the otayuri in this fic)


	3. Chapter 3

One hour later, Otabek still didn't know what he was supposed to figure out.

"Can't you just tell me?"

"Chris would kill me." Leo replied.

"Chris wouldn't hurt a fly."

"I can't tell you. Sorry."

Otabek didn't speak for a few minutes. _What game is Chris playing?_

"So, does Guang Hong know you're a demigod?"

"No. I'm gonna tell him eventually; I was just really scared for a while that he'd only like me because of that, not because of me, you know?"

"Yeah, I get it. I don't know if I'll ever tell anyone I'm a god."

"Even if you fall in love?" Leo asked.

"I don't know. I might not ever fall in love. How can I fall in love if I don't understand it?"

"You'll find love someday. I'm positive."

"I hope you're right." The look on Leo's face could only be described as a knowing smile.

  
A few minutes later, Otabek received a text from Yuri."Leo," he asked after reading it. "What's a Hogwarts house?"

Leo looked shocked. "Oh my god. We're gonna have to give you some pop culture lessons. So, there's this book series, Harry Potter, and it centers around this kid who finds out he's a wizard. And each of the seven books covers a year at his wizarding school. And it's a lot more complicated than that, but I'll just make you read it. You can't not read it if you're gonna live with humans; it's a huge part of pop culture. Anyway, so his school, Hogwarts, has four houses: Slytherin Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. They're based on your values and reflect your personality." Leo pulled up a website on his laptop.

"So, you can look at the qualities for each house, and there's actually a test you can take to find out yours, but its accuracy is debatable."

Otabek looked at the qualities for the houses. "Can you find the test? I think I know, but I wanna see."

"A lot of people don't even go with the house the test gives them. They just pick the one that they identify with most."

Otabek took the test, and received the result he thought he would: Hufflepuff. "I was right."

"Damn. It got me wrong when I took it."

Just then, Guang entered the room. He'd been standing in the doorway for a few moments, but was miraculously unnoticed by Leo. "Are you guys taking the Pottermore Hogwarts house test?" He asked. He still looked very tired, but he went over to the couch where Leo was sitting, sat down next to him, and put an arm around him.

"Yeah, we are." Leo replied.

"I don't know how it got you that wrong." Guang Hong turned to look at Otabek. "It told him he was a Slytherin, but he's a Hufflpuff."

"They do share some qualities," Otabek said.

"Yeah, but Leo's not cunning or sly or anything like that at all. He doesn't have it in him."

"You say that like you're not a Hufflepuff, and therefore also do not have it in you."

"So we're all Hufflepuffs?" Otabek asked, as he texted Yuri, saying he was a Hufflepuff.

"Apparently."

Otabek's phone quickly went off again.

 _im a slytherin_ , the text said.

"Yuri's a Slytherin." Otabek said. "Is that bad for me? Us?" Could he use us if they weren't dating?

Leo grinned. "No. Slytherins and Hufflepuffs actually make really good friends. But Slytherins and Gryffindors can clash."

"Why doesn't he know this?" Guang Hong asked. "Why don't you know this?" It wasn't rude, he was genuinely curious.

"I've never read-" Before Otabek could even finish, Guang Hong got up and walked into Leo's bedroom. He came back shortly with a pile of exactly seven books and handed them to Otabek. "Read them."

Otabek looked at the books, not surprised to find that they were the Harry Potter books. And they all had really long titles. He took the stack of books to his room. He figured he should probably let Leo and Guang Hong have some time alone together, as he heard this as he was walking away:

"I should have introduced you as 'This is my boyfriend, Guang Hong, and he loves to read more than anything." Leo teased.

"Except you."

As Otabek closed his door, his phone went off again.

 _are you free tomorrow?_ , the text said. It was from Yuri.

 _yes_ , Otabek replied.

_good! i feel bad for leaving so suddenly earlier._

_you said you couldn't stay for long. it was okay._

_good. anyway. wanna meet for lunch?_ _there's this really good sandwich shop downtown. i know the owners._

_sounds good. what's it called?_

_bone appetit. meet me there at noon?_

_sure!_

* * *

 

Yuri smiled as he read the message from Otabek. He couldn't wait for the next day. He'd never met anyone he'd clicked with as quickly as he'd clicked with Otabek. Though there was an air of mystery about Otabek, and Yuri was completely intrigued. Every time they spoke, he was left wanting more. More time, more information, more Otabek. Yuri couldn't help but feel drawn to this man. He seemed wise beyond his years.

  
Yuri laughed to himself and wondered what his 15 year old self would have thought of him getting so attached to someone he'd met by getting knocked over by them in the _street. Probably would have thought I was an idiot_ , he thought.

  
He was just glad he wasn't still 15.

* * *

 

  
The next day, Yuri and Otabek met at Bone Appetit.

  
As they walked in, a tall man with silver hair greeted them. He was wearing a tight v-neck shirt, and Otabek couldn't help but notice that his chest looked like it was sculpted personally by one of the gods. "Welcome to Bone Appetit, where the food is im-paws-ibley good!" He greeted, but after looking up from what he was doing, he said:"Yurio, hi! Who's your friend?"

  
"Hey, Viktor. This is my friend Otabek."

  
Yuri grabbed a couple of menus off of the counter, and led Otabek to a table with two chairs.

"Yurio?" Otabek asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, that's what Viktor calls me. His husband's name is Yuuri, and it gets confusing."

"Ahh." Otabek said, as he looked at the menu. One particular item caught his eye. "Growled cheese?"

"Yeahh. That was Viktor's idea. The sandwich is pretty good, though, regardless of the stupid name." Yuri replied. He noticed Viktor talking to Yuuri up at the counter. They were most likely talking about him.

"So, you know what's good here?" Otabek asked.

"Everything is good here." Yuri replied. "I'd know. I'm the guinea pig they tested out everything on the menu on."

  
"And you enjoyed it." A voice said. It was Yuuri, who was now standing by their table. "You know you love my cooking."

"Eh." Yuri teased, shrugging.

"So, who's this?" Yuuri asked, gesturing to Otabek. "This is Otabek, and I know Viktor already told you that. And, no, before you ask, we are not dating." Yuri replied.

Yuuri only smiled in response. "Do you guys know what you want?" he asked. At a nod from Otabek, Yuri said yes, and they both ordered.

"They mean well." Said Yuri. "They act like my parents a lot. I used to hate it, but now I'm just used to it."

"How long have you known them?" Otabek asked.

"I've known Viktor most of my life, but I've only known Katsudon a few years."

"Katsudon?"

  
"Yuuri. Needs a bunch of context."

 _Ah, more name differentiation_ , Otabek thought. He looked around the restaurant. It was clearly dog-themed, but what he hadn't noticed was that all the pictures decorating the restaurant seemed to be of the same dog."Whose dog is that?" he asked.

"Viktor's. His name's Makkachin." Yuri lowered his voice. "You see that picture over there in the corner?" He pointed to a picture on the wall behind Otabek.

Otabek turned to look at it. "It's a cat."

"It's my cat. I switched the pictures out. Katsudon and I have a bet going on about how long it'll take Viktor to notice." Yuri grinned.

"Who's winning?" Otabek asked.

Yuri's smile grew even bigger. "Me."

"How long has it been there?"

"Three weeks. He doesn't have a clue."

  
"He'll get a clue if you're not quiet." Yuuri said as he brought their drinks.

"Why are you waiting tables today?" Yuri asked. "You usually have more staff."

"Our waitress called in sick last minute and we're making a few calls, but we're not too busy right now, considering you two are the only ones in here, so Viktor and I have it covered."

  
Yuuri saw Viktor signal to him from the counter, and went over.

"Did you find someone to work?" Yuuri asked.

"Yes. They'll be here at one. But look at this." Viktor showed Yuuri a few texts. "It's from Chris. Apparently he's trying to set Yurio and Otabek up."

 

"Chris knows Otabek?" Yuuri asked.

"Chris knows everyone." Viktor replied. Not very surprising for the god of love. The real surprise was that Chris had told Viktor he was a god.

* * *

 

"Isn't that supposed to be something you keep a secret?" Viktor had asked when Chris had told him. Chris had shrugged. "It's not like I go around telling everybody."

  
Viktor had honestly been a little shocked he /didn't/ tell everybody. But, as extravagant as he was, Chris was too smart for that.

* * *

 

  
"Didn't these two just meet?" Yuuri asked. "We've never seen or heard of this guy before."

"Do you know who Chris is?" Viktor asked. He knew full well that Yuuri knew Chris was the god of love, but he was proving a point.

"Yeah, but-"

"But nothing. If Chris says they're meant to be, they are meant to be. I trust his judgement." Viktor said, and he did. In all the years he had known Chris, he hadn't been wrong yet. He certainly hadn't been wrong when he had told Viktor to pursue Yuuri.

 

Chris often saw connections that most others would not be able to see. Matches made by him were quite literally matches made in heaven. Viktor had no concerns about the fact that Otabek and Yuri had only recently met, because he knew that Chris wouldn't try to force them together. While Chris was interested in updates on how his couples were doing, he knew that relationships often built slowly, and could never be forced.

  
Viktor glanced at Yuri. He looked like he was enjoying himself. Viktor was glad to see that he could become friends with someone so fast. Yuri had had a lot of walls up in the past, and slowly but surely he was tearing those walls down. He was becoming more open with other people, even those he hadn't known for as long. Viktor was glad for that. He wanted nothing more for Yuri than for him to be happy.

  
Yuri, at that moment, was very happy. Otabek, as serious as he looked, actually happened to be very funny. Usually, he was very quiet, but once Yuri got him talking, he told very vivid stories about some of the antics he and his old friends had gotten up to. Currently, he was in the middle of a story about how one of his friends had made an unlikely friend.

"So, he crawls into some stranger's house through a bedroom window." Otabek said. "And inside, he finds a hamster cage. There's three hamsters in it. From what he said, he instantly loved them. Unfortunately for him, the hamsters' owner walks in as he's reaching his hand into the cage to pet the hamsters. And all he can say to explain himself is 'your hamsters are exquisite '."

Yuri burst out laughing. "Your hamsters are exquisite? ! Oh my god."

"Yeah, and apparently the owner just went 'yeah, I know,' and didn't even question it. My friend never actually elaborated past that, so I don't know how they actually became friends, but I know that."

Yuuri had been standing at the table for a few minutes, having already put their food on the table. He had gone unnoticed until he spoke. "My best friend tells a story just like that. Was the hamsters' owner's name Phichit?"

"I think so, yeah." Otabek replied.

Yuuri smiled. "Yep, that's him, then. He also swears he has immortal hamsters now."

Otabek tried to look surprised, but he didn't doubt it, knowing his friends. This particular friend was the god of animals, known by his only human friend as Seung Gil. Usually he didn't care what mortals thought, like most gods, but he'd grown quite attached to this particular mortal.

"I don't have too many funny stories about friends. Except that time Katsudon drank 16 flutes of champagne and-"

"What did I tell you about telling that story in this establishment?" Yuuri, now across the cafe, called.

Yuri pulled out his phone and started typing.

"No texting it to him, either! I'd like to keep my dignity." Yuuri called.

"Damn it! Tell you some other time, then, Beka." Yuri paused. "Is it cool if I call you that?"

"Yes. You like nicknaming people, don't you?"

Yuri nodded.

"I like it." Otabek smiled.

Yuri smiled back, the brightest Otabek had seen yet.

Otabek almost didn't want to leave when it was time for them to go. Yuri was probably his favorite person to spend time with. He returned home glad that they had spent time together, but slightly upset that it had to end. He was very quickly becoming attached to Yuri, and hoped to form a closer friendship with him.

When Otabek had come to the mortal world, he hadn't expected to get so wrapped up in it so quickly. He had almost expected to feel distant from them for a while. But all the humans he had met so far had been so warm, welcoming, and kind. Even Yuri, though he seemed rough at the surface. He knew all humans weren't this kind, but the ones that were gave him hope that he would someday, perhaps soon, understand their love. And maybe even find it himself.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, Otabek was in his room trying to read _Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone_ when Leo knocked on his door frame.

"Can I come in?" He asked.

"Yeah. Not hanging out with Guang Hong?"

"He fell asleep. I figured I'd take this opportunity to educate you in current pop culture. You can't pass as a human if you don't know at least something. Music you're already pretty good on. How'd you listen to human music in the realm of the gods?"

"Chris got me an iPod. He owed me a favor from ten thousand years ago, got me that and we called it even."

"He owed you a favor for ten thousand years?" Leo was incredulous. "And you let him settle it with an iPod?

"The realm of the gods has almost no technology; I was very impressed." 

"But if that's true, you wouldn't have wifi. How do you get music on your iPod with no wifi?" Leo looked even more confused.

 

"Magic."

 

"You can magic your way out of not having wifi? Bye, I'm going to go live with the gods; have a nice life in this hell realm."

 

Otabek laughed."I wouldn't want to go there if I were you."

 

"I've been. I didn't want to stay because no humans are allowed. I'd never get to see Guang Hong again. I hate even the idea of that." Leo looked like he might cry just thinking about that.

 

"You really love him, don't you?" Otabek asked.

 

Leo nodded. "Anyway. Pop culture. There's a lot of really big movie franchises and you don't necessarily have to watch them, but you have to know they exist. Like Star Wars, the Marvel cinematic universe, and a few others. I'll give you a list. Google them. And movies adapted from young adult novels are huge right now. Stuff like The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, and probably any contemporary novel where one of the protagonists dies."

 

"Wow."

 

"Yeah." Leo continued to explain humans' pop culture to Otabek, who honestly wasn't sure he'd remember half of this. That was probably why Leo also told him to research a lot of it himself, so it would stick.

 

"Social media is also huge and people will definitely think it's weird if you don't have it."

 

"I don't, though."

 

 "Get it. You don't have to use it much, but it'll help you blend in."

 

"I don't understand it."

 

"It's a fun way to keep up with people.'

 

"Why not just talk to them?"

 

"Plenty of reasons. Like distance. And you can still talk to people and follow their social media. It's not like social media prevents people from ever speaking to anyone again; it's called _social_ media for a reason."

 

"I still don't understand."

 

"You don't have to."

 

"But why make social media accounts if I don't get it?" 

 

"To blend in. Trust me, please." 

 

"Fine." 

 

"Awesome! Also you should probably know I love social media and am therefore biased but still. Blending in." 

 

"I know you love social media. That and Guang Hong are your only loves." 

 

"You know me so well."

 

"Speaking of Guang Hong, I'm gonna go back to him before he realizes I'm gone and walks in on this unexplainable conversation." Leo got up to leave the room. 

 

"Leo?" Otabek asked. "When are you gonna tell him? What you are?" 

 

"Soon. As for you, don't ever tell anybody till you know you can trust them completely." Leo replied. It was like he had read Otabek's mind, though Otabek was pretty sure demigods couldn't do that.

 

 

Leo went back into the living room to find Guang Hong still asleep. His face lit up as he looked at his boyfriend. They saw each other in person so rarely that it always meant the world. 

 

_One day_ , he thought, _we won't have to deal with  the distance._ They hadn't yet discussed who would move where, but it didn't matter to Leo where they lived. It only mattered to him that they were together.

 

"Guang Hong?" He said softly.

 

Guang Hong opened his eyes. "Yeah?" He asked sleepily. He still wasn't used to the time difference, but spent as much time awake with Leo as he could manage.

 

"Can we talk?" Leo asked.

 

Guang Hong looked concerned for a moment. "Yeah."

 

Leo beckoned for Guang Hong to follow him, and they went into his bedroom and sat on his bed. "So. I've got something to tell you. It's not bad, I promise." Leo took a deep breath. "I'm a demigod. Yes, I'm serious, and the reason I haven't told you is because I was scared that you would only love me for that, and not because of my personality." Leo paused. "You're not mad, are you?"

 

Guang Hong looked shocked. "No. I get it. Does anybody else know?"

 

"Just a couple of gods. Also, I don't want this to change anything. I just wanted to be completely transparent. I don't expect anything else from you, especially with all you already do for me."

 

Guang Hong looked like he was going to cry. All he could say in response was "It means a lot that you told me this. But I honestly think I'd still have fallen for you because of _you_ , not because you're a demigod, if you had told me before it happened. I love you for you, and I always will."

 

Leo _was_ crying. "I know that now. And I love you, too." All of his fear melted away as he leaned in to kiss Guang Hong. It was short, but sweet, and they stayed in each other's arms for a long while afterwards, both thinking about how lucky they were to have each other.

 

* * *

Meanwhile, Otabek was extremely confused as to how to work Twitter. He didn't understand the purpose of it, or the mechanics. As lost as he was, he was too embarrassed to ask for help. The God of Victory did not ask for help. The God of Victory got his shit together and figured things out for himself. Even if it was fucking hard. As an immortal, this was the first time he felt truly old. 

 

He was that stereotypical old person from every sitcom he'd yet seen who had to have younger people help them with technology, but it actually wasn't funny at all. If course, he knew that some people considered old by human standards were proficient in technology, but he was not one of them. To be fair, though, he had spent most of his life unexposed to technology. 

 

Otabek decided to take a break from trying to work Twitter and instead to text Yuri. This was one part of technology he was fairly proficient at. 

 

_what's up?_ he texted 

 

_ nm. just trying to get some hw done.  _

 

_ ah. am i interrupting?  _

 

_ nah i wasn't getting anything done anyway. my cat is convinced she needs to sit right the fuck on top of my keyboard.  _

 

Otabek laughed. Before he could reply, he received a picture of Yuri's cat who, as he said, was sitting on his keyboard. It was captioned " _stupid-ass cat ((aka the love of my life))_ "

 

_can you move her?_ Otabek asked 

 

_ you've clearly never had a cat. they move right back if you move them.  _

 

_ i've never had any pets. oh my god. get a pet. now. go adopt one from a shelter. _

 

_ i'm not sure my apartment building allows them.  _

 

_ i'll fight the owner. go get something furry.  _

 

_ do not fight the owner of my building, yuri.  _

 

_ get a pet, beka!!  _

 

_ but what about leo?? shouldn't i ask my roommate first??  _

 

_ GO GET A PET YOU NERD. _

 

_ no. _

 

_ fuck off. _

 

Otabek couldn't help but smile at this message. By now he knew Yuri well enough to know that this wasn't serious, and was in fact affectionate in a sense.

 

A few minutes later, he received another text from Yuri.

 

_oh my god._

_beka._

_viktor is asking for your number._

 

_give it to him._

 

_you don't know what you're getting into._

 

_just give it to him._ Otabek repeated.

 

_ok. don't come crying to me when he annoys the hell out of you._

_don't tell him i said that he's like family to me._

_don't tell him I said that either._

 

A few minutes later, Otabek received a message from Viktor.

 

_hi. this is viktor from the cafe. yuri gave me your number._

 

_hi. you two arent together are you??_

 

_no. why?_

 

_as his father it is my duty to make sure any and all potential boyfriends are suitable and respectable._

_(im joking ofc but he is family to me and you seem to make him pretty happy)_

 

_we're just friends. i believe you. also,, do you know chris giacometti?? i think he's mentioned you to me._

 

_yes i do. what did he say?_

 

_nothing too important i was just wondering if it was actually you._

 

This was the truth. Chris, though he talked about his friends and the people he tried to set up, kept a certain level of confidentiality about it. He would never reveal anything private or too personal he might know about anybody to anyone. This applied in his daily life and in his matchmaking. 

 

On top of that, Viktor would never ask these things. Especially about people he didn't know. He didn't need to know the details about strangers' lives and loves. He had his own. Otabek knew almost nothing about Viktor, but he trusted Chris, and knew that it was probably true that nothing too important had been revealed. 

 

A few minutes passed. Otabek received another text from Viktor.

 

_ by the way, i saw you staring at my chest yesterday.  _

 

Otabek nearly screamed. He didn't know how to respond. He almost wanted to return to the realm of the gods and tell Leo to burn any trace of his presence in the human world. But he couldn't do that. 

 

Could he? 

 

His phone buzzed again. Viktor again. 

 

_ it's okay i get it a lot.  _

_ (you don't know me well enough to know this yet but i'm teasing)  _

 

_oh good._ Otabek almost added "I'm dying". He locked his phone and walked away from it. He needed a break from technology. And a snack. 

 

Half an hour and two bowls of cereal later, Leo walked into the room. 

 

"I'm going to work," he said. "Guang Hong is in my room, but he said he wanted to get to know you a little better, so he'll probably be out here to keep you company in a little bit." 

 

"Okay." True to Leo's word, Guang Hong came in after about fifteen more minutes. 

 

"Hi!" He said, sitting down across from Otabek. 

 

"Hi."

 

"What's up?" 

 

"Avoiding my phone." Otabek replied. He didn't have any other answer. 

 

"Can I ask why?"

 

"I embarrassed myself." 

 

 

"Ah." Guang Hong said. "I have friends who do that for me," he joked. "I actually met Leo because one of my friends, Kenjirou Minami, felt the need to completely embarrass me in front of him. We were at like this summer thing here, and it was one of the first times were seen each other in person because we live in different countries. Leo was there, and I desperately wanted to talk to him because I thought he was cute. So Minami comes up with this plan for Leo and I to meet. Unfortunately, he didn't tell me this plan. 

 

"So five minutes after he tells me he has a plan, I have my ass stuck in a tire swing and Leo de la Iglesia is walking over to me. I'm still not entirely sure how it all happened. And it gets worse. He asks me how I'm doing and I say 'I'm tired'. I wish I was kidding. I still can't believe that's one of the first things I ever said to him and he still started dating me."

 

Otabek was crying with laughter. "That's incredible." He said, and then launched into the story he had previously told Yuri, about Seung Gil and the exquisite hamsters.

 

Guang Hong was in stitches by the time the story was over. "I don't know if I can top that. I have some pretty good ones, though."

 

The two of them exchanged stories for a while longer. They had quickly come to like each other. Otabek was glad he'd been able to make friends in this short of a time in the human world. He thought he was beginning to understand human bonds. But regardless of whether he was or not, he was still having the time of his life with the humans. Was it fate for him to have come here, or was it luck? He didn't think he cared.


	5. Chapter 5

A few days later, everyone Otabek knew was losing their shit. And he had no clue why. "What's going on?" He asked.

"Phichit is coming back to town!" Guang Hong exclaimed. "You haven't met him yet. You'll love him."

Otabek wondered if Phichit was one of those people that everybody loved. It certainly seemed like it.

Earlier that day, Viktor had texted him.  
we're having a little party at the cafe on saturday for a friend coming to town! you can come if you want!

He didn't think it was a coincidence that Phichit was arriving on Saturday. Hadn't Yuuri mentioned knowing someone called Phichit?

Immediately after receiving the text from Viktor, Otabek texted Yuri.  
_did you tell viktor to invite me to the cafe on saturday?_

_nope. i think he really likes u._

_im glad he approves._ Otabek hoped his sarcasm was conveyed in the text. Viktor was nice, but he seemed to be very interested in Otabek. Had Chris said something? And, if so, what?

He was about to text Chris and ask about this, but was surprised to find that Chris was calling him.

"Hello?" He greeted.

"Hey! I've got Seung Gil here. He wants to talk to you. And he wants to be called Seung Gil so you can get used to calling him that instead of his god name."

"I can speak, Chris." Otabek heard this, and the sound of the phone changing hands.

"What's your mortal name again?" Seung Gil asked.

"Otabek."

"Otabek. I'm coming to the town I'm told you're in. You have to meet the man I'm coming with."

"Is it Phichit?" Otabek asked. "Because everyone I know keeps telling me I have to meet him."

"Yes. He's just... You have to meet him. And then we have to talk."

"...Why?" Otabek asked.

"You'll see."

"Why won't anybody be straight with me!!" Otabek exclaimed , louder than he intended to.

"Probably because no one you know _is_ straight." Chris replied.

Otabek couldn't argue with that.

"I have to go. I'll see you Saturday." Chris said, hanging up.

The phone call left Otabek with more questions that he had had before. Chris was going to be at the party? What did Seung Gil mean? And he still wanted to know what, if anything, Chris had said to Viktor. Why couldn't his friends talk to him? If not now, at least setting a time to talk.

To be fair, though, they did have to know you wanted to talk to talk to you.

Otabek settled for talking to Yuri again. Their conversations were always fun. And didn't leave Otabek with twenty questions leftover.

 _Are you busy??_ Otabek asked

_Nope. Might be later though bc yuuri wants me to help decide how to decorate the cafe for the party this saturday._

_Why is this such a big deal?_

_Bc it's Phichit. You just have to meet him._

_EVERYONE KEEPS TELLING ME THAT_

_Everyone loves him._

_Does that include you_

_Yeah he's like that cool older family member that you love and if you tell him that I will skin you alive_

Otabek laughed.

"Are you texting Yuri?" Leo asked. "You always smile when you text Yuri."

"I...yeah. Why?" Otabek asked.

"I need you to ask him if he's making any food for the party. I don't have his number."

"I thought you didn't know him very well?"

"I don't. But I know Phichit who knows Yuuri Katsuki from the cafe who knows Yuri Plisetsky who also knows you so. Viktor was supposed to set up a group text for people helping with the party but I think he forgot."

"Does everyone I know also know everyone else I know?"

Leo shrugged. "Apparently. But everyone knows Phichit and Viktor here."

"Everyone?"

"Everyone." Leo paused for a moment. "I think you'll really like Phichit."

"I'm told everyone does." Otabek said, and he believed it. Especially since Seung Gil liked Phichit.

Saturday was going to be interesting.

Before anyone knew it, it was Saturday. Otabek walked with Leo and Guang Hong to the cafe. The party was officially starting at 1 pm, but only Phichit was going to be arriving then. Everyone else would be there before to help prepare.

Otabek walked in to see that Viktor, Yuuri, and a little girl were still the only ones there.

"Hi!" Viktor greeted. "Do you three mind helping set up?"

"Not at all!"

"Thank you! Leo, I think Yuuri needs some help in the kitchen, Otabek, Guang Hong, I could use some help putting this banner up."

Each of them went about their assigned tasks. Viktor and Guang Hong chatted, but Otabek didn't really know what they were talking about, and didn't try to join in.

It wasn't long before Chris, and then Yuri arrived.

As soon as Yuri walked in, the little girl Otabek had noticed earlier jumped up and ran over to him. "Yura, Yura!!" She shouted. "Can I braid your hair?"

Yuri laughed. "Sure, Nata. But let me sit down." Yuri noticed Otabek and waved. "Beka! Have you met Nataliya?"

Otabek shook his head.

"She's Viktor and Yuuri's daughter. I taught her how to braid hair." Yuri looked incredibly proud of himself.

Otabek couldn't help but smile. "Hi, Nataliya. I'm Otabek."

"Hi!! Are you friends with Yura?" Nataliya asked.

"Yes I am!"

"I like you. You can call me Nata if you want. Can I call you Beka?"

Otabek nodded.

Nata whispered something to Yuri.

"She wants me to tell you that you can call me Yura."

"Can I?"

"Yes."

Otabek heard Chris snort. He leaned over to say something to Viktor, who laughed. What were they talking about?

He didn't have much time to wonder, as a few moments later, Phichit Chulanont burst in the door.

'Burst' was the perfect word to describe what was happening. Phichit threw the door wide open, and walked into the building with his arms out wide. Unfortunately, he couldn't keep a straight face and dissolved into a fit of laughter. Seung Gil, who walked in behind him was smiling.

Otabek almost couldn't believe it. Had he ever seen Seung Gil smile in thousands of years? Maybe at animals, but never at another god, let alone a mortal.

Phichit was all smiles as he looked around the room. He immediately went up and hugged Yuuri.

"Yuuri! I missed you! How have you been?"

"Pretty good."

"Good! Meet my boyfriend, Seung Gil."

Boyfriend? Otabek couldn't disguise his shock. He really did need to talk to Seung Gil.

Nata ran up to Phichit. "Phichit!" She yelled.

Phichit picked her up and twirled her around. "And how have _you_ been, Nata?"

"Great! Meet my new friend Beka!" Nata exclaimed, gesturing to Otabek. She motioned for him to come to her.

Phichit smiled at Otabek. "Hi. I'm Phichit."

"Otabek."

"You know Seung Gil, right?"

"I do. Has he mentioned me?"

"A few times. He says you were there when I met him, but you ran off."

"He broke into your house. I was scared to be associated with him."

"That's fair. But I've never seen him hang out with you."

"Phichit, stop interrogating Otabek." Leo said, walking over.

Otabek silently thanked Leo for giving him a chance to think of a response.

"Sorry."

"You were fine. I haven't been in town in a while, either."

"Ahh." Phichit nodded, and went off with Leo. "So, Guang Hong's visiting?"

Otabek jumped as he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to find that Seung Gil was standing behind him.

"Let's talk." He said, and led Otabek to a table in the far corner of the restaurant. Once they sat down, he continued. "Chris tells me you're looking for love?"

"Kind of. More like trying to find out how the mortals love. How they feel love. But I won't be upset if I fall in love along the way."

"I'm going to tell you right now that your love won't be like the mortals'. Chris can't tell you that. He's never been in love. He's been trying to find his soulmate for thousands of years."

"Really?" Otabek hadn't known that.

"Really. He's dated, but never loved. He thinks he's close, though. It was all he talked about when I saw him the other day. Anyway. You won't feel like the mortals. It's going to take you over. It's going to hit you, and it's going to take a few days to process it. You're going to cry."

"You don't know what mortal love feels like, do you?"  
  
"Leo, where did you come from?" Otabek asked.

"Halfway across the cafe to tell this fucker he's being too loud and indiscreet."

"You're only half mortal, how do you know what mortal love is like?" Seung Gil asked, though quieter now.

"I'm more mortal than you. And I wasn't talking about me. Every single mortal friend I have ever had reacted just like that. Maybe minus the crying for some."

"But I've talked to other gods, and, compared to our mortal significant others, we felt love a lot more intensely."

"There's other gods dating mortals?" Otabek asked.

"Now there's only one. There were more. Do you know Mila?"

"Yes."

"She has a mortal girlfriend."

"Wait. You don't know that your love is more intense. You can't feel what other people feel." Leo interjected.

"True. Maybe it's not going to be more intense than mortals' love, but it will be intense. Mind-numbingly intense."

"That's better."

The three of them continued to talk and discuss love. It made Otabek look forward to finding love even more.

It wasn't long before they were called back to the main party, but Otabek didn't mind. He felt that he had learned something, though he wasn't sure exactly what.

They came back to everyone else to find Nata dancing. Someone had turned some music on.

"Papa, look at me!" She exclaimed.

Viktor didn't simply look at Nata. He got up and joined her dancing.

Yuuri was frantically searching for his phone.

Phichit held up a hand, and gestured to his phone. He was already recording.

Everyone in the room found themselves smiling at the scene. Otabek was so focused on it that he found himself blindsided when Yuri, who was sitting next to him, laid his head on Otabek's shoulder.

Otabek didn't dare move or say anything. This was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is short. I will be developing Seung Gil a lot more in future chapters.
> 
> Does anyone want to see more of Nata?


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this kind of changed from my original purpose to be just an otayuri story to be a story of everybody's love and what it means to them. I hope everyone is still enjoying it.

The next few days were wild for Otabek. People were constantly in and out of his apartment for visits and work and outings. It was strange to be surrounded by people he hadn't know for thousands of years, but it was a good feeling.

Though there was one person it might have been wilder for: Guang Hong.

He had barely gotten any alone time with Leo, and it had already been a week. He was glad that his time there had coincided with Phichit's, but it was a little overwhelming. He just wanted some alone time with his boyfriend.

It wasn't until three days after Phichit's arrival that Guang Hong finally got some alone time with Leo.

"So. What a week." Leo said with a smile.

"Right?"

"Sorry we haven't been able to do this yet. I've had work, and with that and Phichit coming to town and the party prep I just didn't have time." 

 

"It's okay! Any time with you is enough for me." Guang Hong replied, making Leo blush.

 

Their date went on for the most part normally, but towards the end of it, Guang Hong noticed that Leo was acting nervous. He kept running his hands through his hair. That had always been his tell. _What's going on?_   Guang Hong thought.

 

Nothing out of the ordinary happened during the date, but Leo still seemed nervous as they left.

 

"Are you okay, Leo?" Guang Hong asked.

 

"I'm okay." Leo replied, and planted a kiss on Guang Hong's cheek.

 

When they got back to the apartment, Guang Hong was shocked to find that it was empty.

 

"Otabek is at Yuri's place, so we have the place to ourselves for a while."

 

Guang Hong's face lit up. "Finally!"

 

"Right?" Leo ran his hands through his hair once more. "But. Um. I." He took a deep breath. "I am completely and totally in love with you, and I have been for almost four years. Even with all the distance between us, I wouldn't rather be with anyone else. Any time we have together is precious to me. But I want more. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He knelt down on one knee and opened a ring box. "Guang Hong, will you marry me?"

 

Guang Hong gasped. "Yes!! Yes!!"

 

Leo heaved a sigh of relief as he slipped the ring on Guang Hong's finger. Guang Hong helped Leo up to a standing position, and as soon as he was up, pulled him into a soft and lasting kiss.

 

"Was this why you were so nervous?" Guang Hong asked afterwards.

 

"Yeah...Kinda. I didn't know what you'd say." Leo admitted.

 

"It's not like we haven't talked about it. And, Leo, if you think there is any universe in which I would not marry you in a heartbeat, you are dead wrong."

 

"I love you."

 

"Love you, too." They spent the rest of the night cuddling with each other, feeling nothing but joy after the night's events.

 

Meanwhile, Otabek was having the time of his life. Yuri had invited him over for game night, and it was ridiculous. It was them, Viktor, and Yuuri, and they had been playing Cards Against Humanity.

 

"Next time, you have to invite Phichit." Yuuri suggested. "He's hilarious."

 

"I did. He's late." Yuri replied. "If he shows up with Starbucks I'm kicking his ass."

 

"Seung Gil is actually pretty incredible at this, too." Otabek said. Chris had introduced the other gods to the game almost as soon as he had discovered it, and whenever Seung Gil played, he would win almost every game.

 

"Really?" Yuri looked shocked.

 

"Really. He's actually really funny. You just have to get him to talk. He's usually pretty quiet."

 

"He seems pretty interesting." Said Yuuri.

 

"He is. I think you'd like him. Yura, is he coming with Phichit tonight?" Otabek asked.

 

"I don't know. Phichit asked, and I said it'd be okay, but he never got back to me on it."

 

Their question was soon to be answered. Ten minutes later, Phichit walked in with a

coffee and his arm linked with Seung Gil's.

 

Yuri nearly leaped at Phichit. He would have made it if Otabek hadn't held him down.

 

"Lemme at him!"

 

Tickle him, Viktor mouthed to Otabek, with a mischievous look on his face.

 

Otabek complied. He soon had a giggling Yuri in his lap.

 

"Asshole." Yuri said once Otabek stopped, though he was smiling. "You do that again, I'm kicking you."

 

"Viktor told me to do it!" Otabek exclaimed.

 

"We're going to have a talk about this later." Yuri said to Viktor.

 

Otabek was floored. One second Yuri could be on about kicking someone's ass, the next he wanted to have a talk? What a mystery. "

 

So, are we gonna play Cards Against Humanity, or not?" Phichit asked.

 

"That's what we're playing?" Seung Gil asked.

 

"Yup."

 

Seung Gil smiled. "You're all going down."

 

Only Otabek knew what they were in for.

 

Three games later, Seung Gil having won two of them (the second round went to Yuri), they put the game away, and broke off for conversation.

 

* * *

 

Otabek pulled Seung Gil into another room. "Jesus Christ, Seung Gil. Have you gotten better at that game since we played last?" 

 

"Maybe. But I know you didn't pull me away to ask that. What is it?" 

 

"Um. Have you told Phichit you're a god?" 

 

"Yes. I couldn't have dated him without telling him. Granted I didn't intend to tell him when I did, but still. I got drunk once, and I said a lot of stupid things. I also kissed him a lot, apparently. We talked about it not long after." 

 

"...Wow." Otabek hadn't known Seung Gil to do anything like that before. 

 

Seung Gil didn't seem fazed. "Why do you ask?" 

 

"I was just wondering." 

 

"Is there a mortal you like?" 

 

"I...I don't know. Honestly. But I do know that I want to know whether I should say anything about being a god before I tell anyone. Ever. Not just now." 

 

"I think you should. And you shouldn't get drunk around your crushes. Even if it does lead to a relationship." Seung Gil said with a smile. 

 

Otabek laughed. 

 

* * *

 

"So, who's watching Nata?" Phichit asked. 

 

"Sara." Yuuri replied. 

 

"I haven't seen her in so long. Is she still working at the cafe?" 

 

"Yep. She's been working a lot of overtime lately because her girlfriend is moving into town, and won't have a job yet, but she asked to watch Nata, too." 

 

"Aww. I'll have to stop in and see her." 

 

"She would have come to the party, but she was busy." 

 

"I get it." 

 

"So, how are things with you and Seung Gil going?" Yuuri asked. 

 

"Great!" Phichit exclaimed. "He even likes The King and the Skater!" 

 

"Most important quality in someone you're dating, right?" Yuuri teased. 

 

"Obviously. But seriously, Yuuri, I'm pretty sure I'm in love with him." 

 

"That's amazing! Have you told him?" 

 

"I'm scared to. I don't want to chase him off." 

 

"Phichit Chulanont, if anyone was chased off by you telling them you loved them, they'd be an idiot." 

 

Phichit smiled. "Thanks, Yuuri. I'm going to tell him. Probably tomorrow."

 

"Good."

 

* * *

 

Yuri had dragged Viktor to the kitchen. 

 

"You told him to tickle me?" 

 

"Yes." 

 

"Why?" 

 

"You tried to launch yourself at Phichit!" 

 

"Hey, panini head, it was a fucking joke!"

 

"I thought what I said was, too." 

 

"You told. The guy I like. To tickle me." Yuri's face went pale as he realized what he'd said. 

 

"Oh?" Viktor hadn't known this detail.

 

"Viktor, if you say one word..." Yuri said, glaring. 

 

"On Makkachin's life, I won't. Okay?" 

 

Yuri nodded. "I didn't even realize I liked him until I said it. What if he heard me? What if-"

 

"Yuri. Stop that. You're going to make yourself anxious. Everything will work out, I know it." _And the god of love does, too_ , Viktor thought, as he pulled Yuri into a hug.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this might have been a lot. What'd you guys think?


	7. Chapter 7

Something was up. Maybe it was multiple somethings, but things were different, and Otabek still didn't know what.

Leo and Guang Hong seemed somehow closer than they already had been, and were constantly whispering to each other. Chris had been sending cryptic texts, and Yuri hadn't spoken to Otabek in a week. Seung Gil, shockingly, had become Otabek's main support in these trying times.

The only problem with going to Seung Gil's place and venting was that Phichit, who lived there as well, had countless theories for why things were off, and none of them helped settle Otabek in the least.

Otabek loved Phichit, he really did. They'd become fast friends, which had surprised nearly everyone else, but he could not handle these theories.

"Maybe Chris is being held for ransom and his cryptic texts are his only way of telling us." Phichit said, as he let one of his hamsters crawl all over himself.

"Phichit." Otabek was done. When would Seung Gil return from the other room?

"What? That one was a joke. My real theories are totally plausible. I mean, Leo and Guang Hong being engaged doesn't seem like a long shot, does it? They've been together for four years."

"Them hiding the murder of a mob boss is a long shot, though."

"I don't even remember saying that." Phichit said.

"And I don't suppose you remember saying Yura probably has a crush on me, either?"

"I remember that vividly, actually."

"You can't tell me you think it's true."

"Then I won't tell you." Phichit paused. "Hey, can I do eyeliner on you?" He asked.

"Uh. Sure."

"Awesome. Let me go get some. I think I have a new one I haven't used yet. If you like it, I'll teach you how to do it yourself, and you can keep it."

Phichit happily went off to get his eyeliner, with his hamster still in his hands.

Seung Gil returned to the room then. "Where did Phichit go?"

"He went to get some eyeliner. He wants to put some on me."

"He might try to give you an entire makeover. Watch out." Seung Gil said. "You don't seem very amused."

"He's a lot. He's great, but the theories..."

"Tell him. Don't talk about him behind his back. He hates it."

Otabek nodded. "I will."

Seung Gil left the room again as he heard Phichit return.

"Hey, Phichit?'

"Yeah?"

"Could you stop with the theories? At least when you're talking to me? They're not making me feel any better."

Phichit wasn't even fazed. "Of course I can. Why didn't you say so earlier? Can I do mascara on you, too?"

"Sure." Otabek replied. He didn't reveal why he hadn't said anything before, however. The answer lied in his past. Many of the gods were terrible. They could only be described as 'assholes'. Otabek had learned that if you requested anything of them, they never listened. Of course, the gods he tended to spend time with weren't like that at all, but the influence of the other gods had caused Otabek to simply stop asking people not to do things.

"Have you ever had your makeup done?" Phichit asked.

"No."

"Okay, do me a favor, and keep your eye open. I'm not going to stab you. Trust me. I can actually teach you how to do makeup if you want. We won't have time tonight, but if you want, just ask. Text me."

"I don't have your number."

"Shit, you're right. Remind me to give it to you."

"I will. Can you give me a ride tonight?" Otabek asked.

Leo and Guang Hong had asked everyone they knew to meet them at a restaurant that night.

"Sure! Keep your eye open. Thank you. Do you know why they want us all to meet them?"

"No. They haven't told anybody, that I know of."

"Hm. They usually can't keep anything secret to save their lives. Must be big. " Phichit stuck his tongue out as he did the wing on Otabek's eyeliner.

_They better be able to keep secrets. Leo, at least._ Otabek thought. He wasn't worried about Leo telling anybody he was a god, but there was a reason he hadn't actually told anyone.

"You're done. I don't have any other makeup that would work for you, but, like I said, if you get some, I can teach you how to use it all."

"We're going to be late!" Seung Gil called from the other room.

Phichit looked at the time on his phone. "Shit, he's right. Let's go."

When Otabek arrived at the restaurant, Yuri was already sitting at the large table that had been set up for everyone. Once Otabek got close enough, Yuri saw his makeup,. Yuri's heartrate sped up. He thought he'd have died if it had been anything more than eye makeup.

"Yura!" Otabek called. "I didn't know you'd be here!"

"I've been friends with Guang Hong for a long time." Yuri said.

"We have a huge friend group. There are people you haven't even met yet. Like them." Yuri pointed at two young women that were walking over to the table.

"Mila?" Otabek asked.

Yuri looked surprised. Little did he know that Mila was a goddess who Otabek had known long before he had even thought of coming to earth.

"Otabek! It's been so long!" Mila exclaimed, pulling Otabek in for a hug. This is my girlfriend, Sara." She said, gesturing to the woman beside her.

"Hi!" Sara greeted.

"Nice to meet you."

"SARA!!!" A familiar voice shouted. Nata launched herself at Sara. "Is this Mila?" she asked.

Sara nodded.

"You're beautiful!" Nata exclaimed.

"Thank you." Mila replied. "You're beautiful, too. What's your name?"

"I'm Nataliya! But you can call me Nata."

"Nice to meet you, Nata."

"Papa, can I sit next to Mila?" Nata asked. "I want to be friends with her."

"If Mila agrees, you can." Viktor replied.

"I would love to sit next to you. Where do you want to sit?"

Nata led Mila and Sara over to the empty seats closest to Phichit. "Can we sit here?" She asked.

"Of course." Phichit replied.

"She's adorable." Otabek said.

"Try babysitting her. She's wild." Yuri replied.

"Is everyone here?" Guang Hong asked. "I think everyone is here." He stood up. "Friends, acquaintances, Princess Nata." He began, making Nata giggle. "Leo and I have an announcement" Leo stood up as well.

"We're engaged!!" They said together.

The entire table erupted with congratulations, Nata and Phichit being the loudest.

 "I knew it!" Phichit exclaimed.

  _Damn_ , Otabek thought. Could he be right about Yuri, too?

"You guys are gonna get married?!" Nata practically yelled.

"Yes." Leo replied with a smile. It still didn't feel real.

"Can I come to the wedding?" Nata asked.

"Of course you can, Princess Nata." Leo replied.

There was so much conversation during the meal that Otabek couldn't keep up with all of it, but he did catch parts. He found that Chris couldn't make it because he had a date that night. According to Viktor, it was a big deal.

He also learned that Sara was a perfect counterpart to Mila. She seemed very easygoing, where Mila could be quite feisty, and was very sweet where Mila was more sarcastic, and enjoyed teasing.

Otabek also learned that more friends would be coming to town for the wedding, but that it wouldn't be for several months, as they were going to wait till Guang Hong could move to the U.S. He didn't catch the names of these friends, but he was certain he'd be hearing more about them before he met them.

Before anyone knew it, the meal was over, and Nata was crawling into Guang Hong's lap.

"Nata, no-" Yuuri started to say.

"She's fine. It's been too long since I've seen her, anyway. Hasn't it, Princess Nata?"

"Much too long." Nata agreed, making everybody laugh.

"I'm surprised you even remember me."

"I have an excellent memory." Said Nata.

They lingered for a little while longer, but soon people started to leave. Mila and Sara were the first to leave.

Phichit and Seung Gil were next.

"Otabek, do you still need a ride?" Phichit asked.

"We'll take him back." Leo said.

Phichit nodded. "Before I go, let me give you my number." He said to Otabek, who handed his phone over for Phichit to put his number in.

"Can you take me home, too, Leo? My place is on the way back to yours."

"Sure!"

"Thanks."

"Come on, Nata." Viktor said, and he and Yuuri stood up.

Guang Hong stood up, still holding Nata. He handed her over to Viktor. "Come see me before I have to leave, Princess Nata! We can watch The Lion King."

"Ooh, can I?"

"We'll see." Yuuri replied. "You have to be good."

A few minutes later, Otabek and Yuri were in the backseat of Leo's car.

Yuri kept stealing glances at Otabek. He almost reached out to touch Otabek's hand, but thought better of it. _He probably doesn't like me back..._ Yuri thought.  
  
Otabek was actually questioning his feelings for Yuri. He knew that he felt differently about Yuri than he did about everyone else he knew, but he didn't know how to describe that difference, or what exactly he was feeling. Could it be love, as Seung Gil suspected? He didn't know if he even wanted to label it.

When they arrived at Yuri's apartment, he thought about inviting Otabek to come with him, but he didn't know if he'd be able to handle himself. He took a risk.

"Otabek, do you want to stay at my place for the night? Maybe let Leo and Guang Hong have some time to themselves?"

"Sounds good. Let me go home and get a few things and I'll walk back over. It's not far."

"I can drive you back." Leo offered.

"No. You should get some time with Guang Hong. I'll be fine walking."

They drove off. Yuri couldn't believe what he'd done. He thought he might die that night. Why did crushes have to get in the way of everything? He wasn't going to say anything, though. Not yet. But he had a plan.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this is late

"You can just set your stuff down anywhere." Yuri said when Otabek walked in. His five minutes of rushed cleaning before Otabek had arrived had apparently paid off.

Otabek looked around. "Nice place." He said.

"Thanks. Don't sit on that chair over there." Yuri said, pointing at a black tub chair. "That's my cat's domain."

"The immovable cat?" Otabek asked.

"Yeah. By the way, he's really friendly and he might try to jump on you. He just wants pets and love. If you don't want him, I'll get him and pet him."

"But isn't he immovable?"

"He might still try to come back and sit on you, yeah, but I'll do my best."

"I'll probably just pet him."

"Good choice. If he falls asleep on you, though, you aren't allowed to move." Yuri instructed.

"What if I have to pee?"

Yuri looked Otabek dead in the eyes. "Then you fucking hold it."

"Why does your cat come with rules?"

"The cat makes the rules." Yuri sat down. His heart leaped as Otabek sat next to him, though he knew there weren't many other places to sit. _Stupid feelings_ , he thought, then realized how similar that sounded to something he would have said around the age of 15.

"Do you wanna watch a movie?" Yuri asked.

"What kind of movie?" Otabek asked.

"I've got Disney movies, a couple of rom-coms, and The Blair Witch Project."

 _What the fuck is a rom-com_ , Otabek thought. He'd have to ask Leo tomorrow. "Disney."

"Nice. Most people say horror for sleepovers. I like your style. Take your pick. I'm gonna go make some popcorn." Said Yuri.

It wasn't a minute before Otabek settled on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. He'd only seen a few Disney movies, all courtesy of Leo, but this one was his favorite.

He didn't start the movie until Yuri returned with a large bowl of popcorn.  
"Wow. Classic." Yuri said as he sat down again.

"We," Otabek said after a moment. "Are two fully grown adults sitting here watching a Disney movie.

"Yep. You should see Viktor when new Disney movies come out. He gets more excited than Nata." Yuri replied. "I think he has a Disney shrine in his closet, too."

Otabek laughed, and Yuri thought he might implode. How could he have fallen so hard, so fast? He didn't want to risk ruining what he and Otabek already had, so he would keep this quiet. For now, at least.

One movie and thirty minutes of Yuri's cat sticking his ass in Otabek's face later, Yuri stood up.

"It's getting late." He said. "Do you want me to get you a blanket? I dunno how tired you are yet, but you can sleep on the couch if you want, or I might have a blow-up bed." Yuri hesitated before adding: "Or you could sleep in my bed with me."

"How tired are you?" Otabek asked.

"Not very."

"Me neither. Let's stay up a little longer. I'll take that blanket, though, if you don't mind."

Yuri smiled and went to go get the blanket. When he came back, he asked: "Can we share it? It's huge." He held his arms out, displaying how big the blanket was.

Otabek nodded.

Yuri sat down, and curled up close to Otabek. "Is this okay?" He asked, looking up at Otabek. He had a rare soft, almost gentle, expression.

"Yes." Otabek had butterflies in his stomach. This was a strange, new feeling for him, and he wasn't sure what to do, or what exactly it meant. But he was sure that he didn't want Yuri to move. This was perfect.

"Beka?" Yuri asked, not moving. "Can we talk for a little bit?"

"About what?"

"I kind of want to tell you a little more about me. Stuff that's more personal."

"Okay. I'll listen."

"I guess the first thing you should know is I don't usually get this close to people this fast. I guess I'm kind of off-putting because I can be an asshole with people I don't know well. And I'm not good at hiding it when I  don't like people. I also never really had friends as a kid, and my only family is my Grandpa."

"Wow."

"Yeah. It's better now, because I have friends that surround and support me. And I've mellowed a lot. But enough sad shit. That's not all of me. I like to cook and bake, and my favorite thing to make is katsudon pirozhki. It's my grandpa's recipe.

"I've been to Japan a few times. I once drew a dick on one of Leo's friends' foreheads at a sleepover and now he won't let me spend the night at his house anymore."

Otabek couldn't stop laughing. "Was it-was it worth it?" He finally got out.

"Oh, totally. Guy was a jackass. Moving on, I haven't had short hair in years, and I don't plan on cutting it any time soon. Sometimes I sleep with a cat plushie. I'm really gay. And I'm a trans guy. I don't think I've mentioned that, have I?" Yuri asked.

"Nope."

Yuri nodded, and continued talking. "Once I had to dogsit Makkachin for a long weekend for Viktor and I had to let him sleep in my bed the entire time because he was terrified of my cat. I actually loved it."

"Your cat doesn't sleep with you?"

"Sometimes he just prefers the chair. Also I had to shut him out of my room for Makka's sake." Yuri yawned. "I think it's time to stop. I'm really tired, but if you wanna spill in the morning then that's cool." Yuri closed his eyes. " Can I just...stay here? " He asked.

Otabek nodded. He pulled a lever on the side of the couch, making the footrest pop out.

"Seat reclines back too." Yuri mumbled, already half-asleep.

Otabek decided not to recline any further for fear of disturbing Yuri. This was absolute bliss, but the butterflies in his stomach would not relent. Did they indicate had feelings for Yuri? He resolved to talk to Chris and Seung Gil about this tomorrow. This decision temporarily alleviated his stress, and he was soon able to fall asleep.


End file.
